A YOUNG mum who nearly lost her unborn child in a coach crash has won a four-year battle for compensation.

Francesca Hope, now 22, who was heavily pregnant with daughter Hollie at the time of the crash, has been awarded a six-figure payout from bus giants Stagecoach.

She was hurled through the coach window and suffered horrific multiple injuries, including a ruptured spleen and broken arm.

Doctors in Aberdeen had to deliver Hollie three weeks prematurely by Caesarean section and it was weeks before her mum could hold her.

Francesca, from Auchinblae, Aberdeenshire, has received treatment since the accident.

Last night, she said she was happy that the Court of Session judges had awarded the damages.

She said: “It is such a relief that it is finally all over and I can start to move on with my life.

“Hollie is doing well and will be starting school next year and I also have a wee boy Cameron, who is just perfect.

“As a family, we can look forward to the future now and hopefully put all this behind us.”

Francesca’s lawyer Karyn McPhee, of Slater & Gordon lawyers said: “Francesca sustained horrific injuries because the driver of the bus committed an act of carelessness that could have resulted in the death of her and her unborn baby.

“She had a number of operations and has been left with serious scarring and emotional trauma. While damages will not remove the emotional scars, we hope that they will help Francesca and her young family move on with their lives.”

A Stagecoach spokesman said: "We are pleased that an agreed settlement has been reached in this case. Safety and the welfare of our customers will always be our number one priority."

The bus driver was fined £175 for careless driving and no longer works for Stagecoach.